Benedict XVI “was a model” | The Press

(Vatican) Thousands of faithful from all over the world have gathered since early Monday morning near St. Peter’s Square in Rome to pay their last respects to Pope Benedict XVI, who died on Saturday at the age of 95. All have one thing in common: Benedict XVI marked them from near or far.

“Pope Benedict XVI wanted to see me in person,” Sister Mary Kim Anh Tran said smiling. While she was at Rome airport on Sunday evening to return to Paris, where she lives, her flight was canceled at the last minute. Quickly, she thought that heaven was sending her a sign.

“I immediately booked a hotel near the Vatican”, explains the one who hardly slept all night. In the early morning, she was already in line, like hundreds of other people, wanting to be the first to access Saint Peter’s Basilica, where the body of the late pope is exposed in the burning chapel.

“I’m so happy and grateful to have seen it. It’s an unforgettable moment. I prayed for him, for him to go to heaven, ”she said as she left the basilica.

Throughout the day, thousands of people marched through St. Peter’s Square. Tourists not knowing what is happening, curious people giving up waiting in long queues, but also worshipers ready for anything.

“We don’t know how long we’ll be waiting, but that’s not a problem. This is the last opportunity to see him,” explains Maria Yuliana Hanul, an Indonesian sister who has lived in Rome for several years.

“He was a simple person, close to people, he was a good pope. We are sad, because he was like a family for us, ”adds the one who had not hesitated to come on site Monday with a friend.

A symbol for the faithful

“When I entered and approached him, I felt sad and started to cry,” said Maria Magdalena Baca Yañez, a young Mexican aged just 17. Along with other young believers from around the world, she was in Rome to attend New Year’s Mass when the sad news broke.

Impossible for her not to pay a last tribute to Benedict XVI. “I’m young, but my parents told me a lot about him. He was important to me because he was pope when I was born and I watched him a lot growing up. He was a role model for me,” she said.

Coming from a very religious family, she explained that it was her parents who told her a lot about the words and actions of Benedict XVI throughout her teenage years. “People see us as teenagers and think we don’t understand this stuff, but that’s not true. »

Benedict XVI’s journey as head of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013 was marked by several controversies and a historic renunciation in February 2013. But for the faithful gathered on Monday at the Vatican, the time was more for commemoration. .

“He worked hard for the Church throughout his life. He really accomplished a lot of things, ”explains Giovanni Renzi, an Italian who came with relatives to pray before the remains of the late pope.

“Benedict XVI was an important figure for the Church for half a century. As a Catholic, it’s important to be here today. »

Preparations for the funeral

The remains of Joseph Ratzinger, which have so far remained in the small private chapel of the monastery, have been on display since Monday morning in the heart of Saint Peter’s Basilica, where thousands of visitors are still expected over the next two days.

The funeral of Benedict XVI will be held Thursday morning, Place Saint-Pierre. It is already time for preparation, like the hundreds of chairs that have been set up for this event, which will be attended from one end of the world to the other, but also by the faithful in the Vatican.

Giovanni Renzi hopes to be part of it, if there is room. This would be an opportunity for him to thank the pope for his actions. “I expect a great mass and a funeral where the pope will be thanked. It will not be sad, but rather it will be a moment of recognition. »

Pope Francis will preside over the funeral, which should be marked by simplicity. It will be the first time in modern history that a pope will celebrate another pope.

The young Maria Magdalena Baca Yañez will not be able to attend the funeral in person, leaving the same day for her country of origin. But she assures that she will follow them from a distance.

Despite the sadness of seeing Benedict XVI leave, she explains that regardless of the pope, he always remains synonymous with hope for her. “It is difficult for young people to continue to have faith with all that is happening in the world. Being a Christian in this world is not always easy, but the pope gives us hope,” she concluded.